Since news of Miami Ad School Toronto’s abrupt and quiet closure broke Monday, former instructors, students, industry experts and agencies have reached out publicly with offers to students currently left in the lurch.

The Toronto campus of the Miami Ad School closed in March after nine years in operation, according to a report from the Toronto Star on Monday. Now, nine students are alleging the college failed to deliver on internships or provide a functioning campus, costing them thousands of dollars and leaving them without diplomas.

The students are demanding a refund on their tuition – an issue that’s ongoing and has resulted in the industry responding with offers of support.

Independent agency Fuse Create announced Wednesday it is hosting the Ossington Ad School on Aug. 12 – a one-day bootcamp to help fill the gap for aspiring advertisers. According to Fuse, spots are limited and will only be open to current Miami Ad School students.

The bootcamp will be held at Fuse’s headquarters at 45 Ossington Ave. and will offer instruction in areas including strategic planning, social-media strategy and portfolio presentation and feedback, according to the agency.

Steve Miller, executive creative director and partner at Fuse – and former instructor at Miami Ad School Toronto – says attendees will essentially get a crash course in how modern advertising works. “Ossington Ad School is our way of giving back and showing up for the next wave of talent,” Miller says. “We want to create space for learning, mentorship and connection — and to show people there’s still a pathway into the industry.”

Miller points out that while this bootcamp will not provide proper accreditation, it will end with a networking mixer for students to connect with industry vets.

Fuse isn’t the first to reach out to Miami Ad School students offering support.

On its website, the Denver Ad School posted on its landing page earlier this week: “Feeling left out in the cold after the closure of Miami Ad School Toronto? Scroll on to see why going to ad school online in the U.S. is better than any option you’ve had before. Starting in Fall 2025, we’re accepting students from all across Canada into our online cohorts.”

Then, following the report in the Star on Monday, Yasmin Sahni, ECD at Blue Noise and former graduate from Miami Ad School in Miami, posted on LinkedIn that she was gutted by the news. “To the students who were literally left hanging – if you need help finishing your portfolio, want some advice or just want to talk about the industry, please reach out.”

TJ Arch, a former instructor at the school and current CD for Target Marketing in St. John’s, N.L., posted that teaching there was a career highlight, though he was “not entirely surprised” the school closed. “Two things are true at the same time,” Arch posted. “First, I’m grateful to MAS for having me as an instructor. And second, I hope they … make sure all the students affected get a full refund.”

Vinay Parmer, CD for Anomaly, also posted: “To any Miami Ad School Toronto students left without a path forward, feel free to reach out via DM. The least I can do is help point you in the right direction after learning a ton from you over the past 4 years.”

Devon MacDonald, president and CEO of Cairns Oneil, also shared: “If you’ve been impacted by the Miami Ad School closure in Toronto and are interested in starting a career in media, we want to hear from you.”

In strategy’s reporting yesterday, an anonymous source said they had waited months for payment and was essentially ghosted by the organization when they tried to contact the co-founders. Strategy reached out to Miami Ad School Toronto co-founders Muneet Dhaliwal and Aman Gulati for comment, but they have not responded.

According to strategy’s anonymous source, the first time they heard rumours of the closure was in January. A month later, a student reached out to the instructor asking for assistance in getting a hold of Dhaliwal and Gulati, who were not responding to emails about the status of the campus. The instructor says the school has still not notified them about the closure.